Clarence s



C. F. OTT

ETGRT FOR DESTRUCTIVE EVOLUTION AND OXIDATION Filed Jan. 27. 1921 Patented Dec. 18, I923.

ensures a. car, or warr'rrnn, camronm.

'BEI'OB'J. "FOB I DESTBUCTIVT E EVOLUTION OXIDATION.

Application filed January 21,; 1921. Serial No. 440,411.

the treat nentofsame by oxidation proc-- esses.

a retort wherein these elementals may be separately volatilized at their respective temperatures of vaporization and chemicall combined, by passing the same throug loosely disposed substances impregnated with oxidizing agents.

This and other objects are attained by the use of constructional features hereinafter specified and shown in the accompanying 'drawing, which is for illustrative purposes only, and discloses merely the embodiment of my invention. 'With reference to the drawing:

Fig. 1. is a view of the apparatus I em- 1 ploy, and is in cross section to better illus trate the interior construction.

Fig. 2. is a plan view of the tray employed to supportthe upper oxidizing mass.

Fig. 3. is a plan view of the tray employed to support the lower oxidizing mass.

Fig. 4. is a fragmentary sectional detail of the lower portion of the retort shell and taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the appended arrows.

Fig- 5. is a fragmentary detail section of charging door.

Fig. 6. is a fragmentary detail section of charging door frame taken in the direction of the arrow 6 in Fig. 5. v

Similar characters represent similar parts throughout the several'views of the drawing.

This retort is of thet pc in which the destructive heat isapplie externally I upon the materials to be volatihzed, indirectly, and therefore none of the materials are consumed for the urpose of furnishing heat for the destructive evolution of. their 12, and is preferably of cylindrical construction, and is; ro'vided with a removable hood 15 which co lects the finished products and ave invented a new It is the object of my invention to provide natc, loosely disposed to allow the and acts.

delivers them through theoutlet spout 1G to their application of usefulness. The lower rim 1? of the hood 15 is adapted to slidably fit over and confine the upper portion of shell'll.

Although the application and uses to which my invention may be put includes the treatment of all volatile substances, the principal use to which this apparatus is adapted, and the application to which I am confining this presentation is the volatilization of the a ueous liquids obtained in the dry disti lation "of'wood at their respective temperatures, and causing these volatilized 1 uids to be changed b the addition of ot er elements,'thus con itioning them for the uses to which it is intended they shall be put.

A charge of white oak-billets 20, which wood-is preferable for m purposes clue to its high yield ofmethyl a coho], is placed in. the 'volatilizing chamber 21. For use in charging an opening 22 is provided which is so constructed and fitted with a cover 23 as to provide an absolute closure means. The

vapors ge'nerated'from the enclo' d charge collect in the volatilizing chamber and are forced by their expansive pressure through theoxidizing mass A which is: a granular substance impregnated with an effective oxidizing agent such as potassium-permanga free passage of vaporstherein and to-present a maximum amount of impregnated surface to the vapors passing through. The vapors, in passing through this oxidizing mass A, displace hydrogen atoms with oxygen atoms, of which, in potassium permanganate, the content is very high, and therefore assume a different formatiom. Acetone, CH EOCH which volatilizes fromwhite oak at a temerature of 56 C. oxidizes'to formic acid, HCUO'H. and acetic acid, (1H,.COOH, in its passage through the oxidizing mass A and passes through the chamber and the upper oxidizing mass C without further change. With some of the compounds vaporizing at higher temperatures, and which require more extensive contact with the oxidizing agent to complete the transformation, it has become necessary to rovide an additional oxidizing mass C, whic. forms between itself and the mass A an intermediate mixing chamber B in which free oxygen arising from mass A is combined being acted upon, it b also advisable n the treatseries of oxidizing ment of other basic-substances "to provide a mixin chambers.

Wit in thevolatilizing chamber'21 1 providela means of furnishing'water vapor to increase the effectiveness of the action of oxidation, by the use of a pan 24 which is annular in formation and sloping to the rear 25 so that the same may be' throughly drained therewith, and subsequcntl refilled with freshwater, andis supplie with a capped inlet 26am] a drain cock 27..

The oxidizing mass C issupported upon a tray'30 which comprises an annular side member 31, to which are suitably attached frame members 32 in which is mounted the screen mesh 33 which supportsthe granular substance forming the oxidizing mass, and

admits the free passage of vapors thereinto,

and are centrally dipped 34 to'increase the area through which said vapors may pass .into the oxidizing massf The annular member 31 is reduced at g roundfits upper edge so that, a sealing strip 3i; is formed between the same and the shell 11 which is packed with the impregnated granular sub stance and thus insures the treatment of all vaporpassing upward from the chamber B.-

Grips 3,8 areprovided to facilitate the removal'of the t-ra 30. p i

Similarly, oxi icing mass A is supported by the tray 40, which comprises an annular member 41 of such a size as will pass through the opening formed by the angle supports 42 for the tray 30, and is supported upon the angle 44 which "extends around the interior of the shell 11. Frame members 45 and mounting mesh screen 46 are suitably substance attached to the annular member 41 and are maintained in their respective positions by the ring members 4.8 and 49. These frame members are downwardly extended at and upwardly extended at 51, and thereby provide an increased amount of exposed surface through which thevapors may penetrate-the oxidizing mass, thus affording a considerable increase in the rate at which the process may be accomplished. A space is formed between the-annular member 41, which is provided also with grips 38, and the shell 11, and provides a means of sealing by packin with the impregnated granular use.

Heat for the accomplishment of vaporization isfu'rnished'from an exterior source such as, the burner which directs its flame 66 against the bottom 12. The heat existent masses and intervening.

amass? I in chamber Ql'is registered by a thermometer 7O normally resting in the well 71, supported from the shell 11 by the flange 72.

. This arrangement facilitates thecontrol of. p

the temperature within the volatilizin chamber. The outer extremity of the close tube. formin r the well 70 is flared as at'74 to accommo ate a fiber cork which supports and maintains the thermometer 70 in place. Q

' The charging door 22 comprises a circular frame which saddles the exterior of the shell 11, to which it is suitably attached, and acover 23 is provided with a flange 81-and a centralizing lip 82 which extends into the opening'formed by the rinr 83. Hooked fingers 85. bn the" cover are inserted, when i it is" desired to put on cover, in the notches 86, one of which is illustrated in Fig. 6, and withfthe revolution of the cover 23 by means of .the handle 87 or other suitable means, are causedto mount the incline 84 formed upon the rim 83 of the saddle member 80,-thus drawing the cover- 23 inwardly and closely confining the gasket 90 bet-ween the flange 81 and the rim 83 to form an air-tight closure.

As my invention I claim:

- 1. In a retort for destructive evolution lowe tray within the shell for receiving thereina granular mass, the said trays being centrally clipped and provided. with 85 and oxidation, a closed shell, an upper andtime, a pan within the said shell for maintaining 21 source of vapor supply, and access to interior of said lastlyhamed compartment whereby thermometric condition of I said interior may be gagcd. I

Signed at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, in the;

presence of'two subscribing witnesses, this 18thday of January", 1921. v

' j CLARENCE F. OTT. Witnesses:

Jessa V. WHANN, M. W. Onns. 

